Trench tunnel



C. S. BAZZELL TRENCH TUNNEL Dec. 30, 1958 Filed Feb. 5. 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet l 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 C. S. BAZZELL TRENCI-I TUNNEL BY LMQLM @7l/a y Sazzezl Dec. 3o, 195s Filed Feb. 5, 1955 C. S. BAZZELL Dec. 3o, 1958 TRENCH TUNNEL 5 Sheets-Sme?l 5 Filed Feb. 5, 1953 A- .if i.

-w1 -mh TT* INVENTOR Cz a?" 2y ,SazzeZZ BY 4M ATTORNEYS nited States This invention relates to a trench tunnel.

When a trench is being dug in the ground, particularly a trench having a depth of five, six, or more feet, it is the practice to shore up the sides of the trench with planks, braces or the like, in order to prevent a cave-in. The placement of the shoring planks must of necessity be retarded until the length of the dug trench is sufcient to insert the planks. Where the ground is relatively soft, the ground will shift before the shoring lumber can be inserted and braced, and before any pipe can be laid in the bottom of the trench. It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide `an improved trench tunnel or shoring device which can be readily collapsed for storage and transportation purposes, and at the same time will provide a strong wall structure which will withstand any pressures to which it may be subjected.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved trench tunnel structure which may be shifted along the length of the trench, so that no time will be lost in shoring up the sides'of the trench, particularly where the trench is being dug by a trench digging machine.

A further object of this invention is to provide a trench tunnel which is so constructed and arranged that a series of the tunnel units may be coupled together to form a relatively long tunnel structure which will permit the progressive laying of pipe or tile behind a mechanical trench digger, thereby speeding up the laying of the pipe or tile, while at the same time protecting the workers.

A further object of this invention is to provide Van improved collapsible trench tunnel which can be readily adjusted to engage in trenches of various widths.

With the above and other objects in View, my invention consists in the arrangement, combination and details of construction disclosed in the drawings and specify cation, and then more particularly pointed out in the 1 appended claims.

In the drawings- Figure l is a detailed end elevation of a trench tunnel constructed according to an embodiment of this invention,

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Figure 1 or Figure 3,

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary horizontal section'showing the draft or hitch means for the tunnel,

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings, the numerals 10 and 11 designate generally a pair of vertically disposed wall members which are of like construction and are each formed of a vertically disposed plate 12 which is provided with inwardly curved opposite ends 13. A round reinforcing bar 14 is secured in the inner concave side of the curved end 13 and a reinforcing member 14 is `downwardly and inwardly bent as indicated at 15 so as to form a skid to facilitate the sliding movement of the wall within the trench.

The plate 12 is reinforced by means of a lower pair of angle members 16 which are welded or otherwise secured together and are welded or otherwise secured to the inner side of the plate 12. An upper pair of face abutting angle members 17 are secured to the upper portion of the plate 12, as shown in Figure 4, and a pair of intermediate angle bars 18 and 19 are secured in parallel relation to the side plate 12 above the lower angle bars 16.

A pair of vertically disposed angle bars 20 are also fixed between the angle members 17 and 18 and are fixed tothe inner side of the wall 12.

ln order to provide a means whereby the two walls 1) and 11 may be held in spaced parallel relation and against collapsing by pressure of the dirt on the outer sides thereof, I have provided a plurality of upper crossed bracing bars generally indicated at 21. The bracing bars 21 are formed of overlapping bars 22 and 23 provided with spaced openings 24 through which headed pins 25 engage. The bars 22 and 23 may be extended or contracted as may be desired so as to hold the walls 10 and 11 in the desired spaced and parallel relation.

.Each pin 2S has a tapered locking wedge 26 extending therethrough for removably securing the pin in selected and registering openings 24 of the bars 22 and 23. The outer end of bar 22 is secured to the upper angle members 17 by removable fastening means 27, and the outer ends of the bars 23 are secured to the opposite angle members 17 by fastening members 28.

As shown in Figure 3 there are three sets of crossed bracing bars 21 disposed between the walls 10 and 11.

The reinforcing members 18 have secured therebetween an intermediate set of crossed bracing members 21, and the bracing members 16 have secured therebetween a lower set of bracing members 21. A pair of hinged closures 29 and 30 are carried by the upper ends of the walls 1t) and 11 and are adapted when in closed position to overlap each other as shown in Figure 4. These closures 29 and 30 are formed of a frameV 31 having a screen 32 secured therein so that the air can freely enter the tunnel from above but any rocks or lumps of dirt will be held against dropping into the tunnel from above.

The upright angle members 20 are formed with a plurality of spaced openings 33 within which the right angle ends 34 of diagonal bracing rods 35 are adapted to en gage. The ends 34 are preferably threaded and a nut 36 is threaded onto the ends 34. The rods 35 extend from the lower portion of one angle member 20 to the upper portion of the confronting angle member 20 carried by the opposite or confronting side wall.

. Each side wall member 10 and 11 has secured to the oppo-site ends of the double bracing members 16, 17, 18 and 19 a U-shaped clevis 37 and one en d of a draw hitch 38 is adapted to be secured to a clevis 37 by means of a link 39. There is a draw rod or hitch member 38 for each side member and these draw rods are secured to a ring 40 with which one end of a draw cable 41 is engaged. The cable 41 may be secured to any means, such as a tractor or the like, or to a mechanical digger, for pulling the tunnel in the trench as the trench is being dug, or after the pipe has been laid within the trench.

The link 39, as shown in Figure 3, may also be used for coupling a series of the side wall members together so as to provide a tunnel of desired length.

In the use and operation of this tunnel structure the side wall members 1i) and 11 are inserted into the trench which is dug by a mechanical trench digger and the side wall members 10 and 11 are adjusted in spaced parallel relation by means of the adjustable bracing members 21. When it is desired to lay the pipe in the tunnelled trench the closure members 29 and 30 may be raised upwardly,

as shown in full lines in Figure l, and the bracing members 21 may be disconnected from the side wall members It) and 11 in sequence from the upper end of the tunnel to the lower end thereof. By disconnecting the crossed bracing members 21 and the diagonal bracing rods 35 in sequence, the side wall members It? and 1I will have the vbracing members 21 and 36 may be removed the side wall members 14) and 11 so that these side wall members may be disposed in face abutting relation and thereby provide acompact or knocked down tunnel which, whenl no-t in use, will occupy onlya relatively small space. This tunnel structure will provide a factor of safety for the workmen laying pipeor the like and by providing a tunnel structure which is preformed the tunnel structure may be pulled lengthwise of the trench thereby eliminating the necessity of shoring up the sides of the trench by lumber or bracing timber as has been the practice heretofore.

Where the structure of the trench digger permits, the tunnel assembly, which may be one section or a plurality of coupled together sections, may be moved with the movement of the digger, and a single cable 41 may be connected to the digger. If necessary two cables may be used with thecables connected to each wall, or a cross bar may be secured between the walls and the cable or cables connected to the cross bar. Where a series of these tunnel sections are coupled together and are connected to the digger for movement therewith, one or more of the sections may be uncoupled to protect Welders or other workers who are working on the pipe line and cannot complete their job as fast as the digger moves for* ward.

I do not mean to confine myself to the exact details of construction herein disclosed, but claim all variations falling-within the purview of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A preformed tunnel for subsurface trench wall reinforcement comprising a pair of spaced apart wall forming plates, a plurality of vertically disposed angle members...

each having a series of vertically aligned apertures therein carried by each plate, the angle members of oneplate being aligned with-those of the other, adiagonally dis- 7 posed bracing rod having right angled end portions extending from a'selected aperture in each angle iron to a selected aperture in the aligned angle iron carried bythe opposite plate,rn'eans securing said right angled ends in said apertures, a plurality of horizontally disposed crossed,

pivotally connected bracing members extending between said plates at longitudinally spaced intervals, a plurality of said bracing members being vertically aligned at each interval, a pair of cover members, and hinge members pivotally securing said cover members respectively to the top edge of each plate, said cover members when in raised position extending upwardly and outwardly respectively from the top edge of each of said plates whereby in the event of collapse of the trench wall adjacent the cover members said cover members will be automatically positioned for protective purposes byV the'collapsing material.

2. A preformed tunnel for subsurface trench wall reinforcement comprising ay pair of spaced apart Wall forming plates, a plurality of vertically disposed angle members lixedly secured to said plates, each of said angle members having a series of vertically aligned apertures therein, the angle members of one plate being aligned with those of the other, a plurality of diagonally disposed bracing rods each having right angled end portions extending from a selected aperture in each angle iron to a selected aperture in the aligned angle iron carried by the opposite plate, means securing Said right angled ends in said apertures, a plurality of crossed bracing and spacer bars secured between said wall plates, each bracing bar being formed of a pair of face abutting bars having a plurality of spaced longitudinally aligned openings extending therethrough, headed pins engaging through selected registering openings for securing said4 bars in yadjusted endwise position, a pair of cover members, hinge members pivotally securing said cover members respectively to the top edge of each plate, said cover members when in raised position extending upwardly and outwardly respectively from the top edge of said plateswhereby in the event of collapse of the trench wall adjacent the cover members said cover members will be automatically horizontally positioned by the collapsing material, said cover members when in lowered position overlapping each other and the underlying one of said cover members being supported by a plurality of said crossed bracing members to close the top of said tunnel below the surface of the earth.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain Jan. 3, 1941 

